Originally Posted by
plunet
I suggest that using your US mobile as your SMS contact number with Chinese online systems when you have a Chinese mobile number available is counterproductive as it can't be used as an assertion of ID that is useful as proof within China. Whereas Chinese mobile numbers all have government ID registered against them and I guess there's a mechanism for a Chinese business with an errant customer to be able to use the mobile number trace who it is.
No issue for Chinese SIM cards to receive SMS globally.
I agree. I associate my China number with all China-based accounts, apps, and loyalty programs. Perhaps related to the "number = ID" concept, there are often nice triangular synergies between phone number, app/mp, and WeChat/Alipay.
It's true that the SMSs follow me wherever I travel, and I get many, but they are easy to ignore.